That
the veiled Muslim woman by all means should be regarded as oppressed is
a myth that ought to be killed. Many people are scandalized by the
veil, but only few seek anexplanation from the Muslim woman herself;
her voice is often overheard in this matter. If she is asked, on the other
hand, the veil represents freedom and dignity.

O Prophet! say to your wives and
your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them
their over-garments; this will be more proper, that they may be known,
and thus they will not be given trouble; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.(Sura 33, 59)

Say to the believing men that
they cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer
for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do. And say to the believing
women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and
do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them
wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments
except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands,
or their sons...(Sura 24, 30-31)

In the Koran, the term hijab
is used of the attire of the Muslim woman as a whole, but also includes
the
way she lives and acts. In everyday language it often only refers to
the veil or scarf itself which must cover the head and chest.

This is, so to speak, the exterior
sign of the way of life of the Muslim woman, but you also speak of having
hijab
in ears, tongue and heart. Here there is no reference to a specific
veil, but to a suitable behaviour in accordance with the precepts
of Islam.

This prevents her from hearing,
speaking or feeling negative things of other people.

Hijab is derived from the
Arabic word hajaba, which means to conceal or to prevent from
being seen. The garb must be loose and opaque and must be worn, whenever
the women either leaves the house, or whenever male visitors not belonging
to the family are received. Only the hands and face may, according to the
prophet Mohammed, be visible, but this point is rather controversial. Some
also choose to cover these parts of the body, but more often than not this
is the result of the personal choice of the individual woman.

THE VEIL
IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A BURDEN

We know the
veil from the antique Hellas, for instance, where the established women
of society had the right to wear one, while the prostitute and the female
slave had to go about bare-headed and thus unprotected against being accosted.
Throughout History,
noblewomen have worn veils when walking about
among the lower classes, or they have hidden their faces behind fans.

The bridal
veil and the nun's habit had a similar purpose. In the New Testament,
in his first letter to the Corinthians Paul states that during prayer,
women should cover their head (11, 5-6).

Nowadays, some
people are astonished daily by seing women wearing veils. Most have an
idea that the veil is oppressive, and many protest loudly and publicly
on behalf of these women.

One thing that
these officious persons have in common is usually that they have never
found it necessary to ask the women themselves, not to speak of
making themselves acquainted with the religious and cultural background
of the veil. Even so, they are busy imposing on others their personal opinions
as to what is oppressive.

If one asks
the women behind the veils, the story is quite different.

The orthodox
Muslim woman does not perceive the veil as inhibiting or oppresive.
Quite the contrary. The veil guarantees her the full respect of
the surroundings, and thus must be considered a privilege rather
than a burden.

The dignity
of the wife or the daughters, or the dignity of any Muslim woman,
for that matter, must be respected and protected, writes Momina Abdullah
on the Internet.

Many Danes
entertain the erroneous notion that the veil represents a compulsion from
the husband and the religion. But women wearing veils, on the other hand,
normally radiate devotion towards their religion. They have chosen
the veil as a clear demonstration of their Muslim identity.

Forcing
anyone to do something against their own will is against Islam. This
point is stressed by all the women we have spoken to. There is no demand
of compulsion in the Koran. On the other hand, every human being should
see it as a religious duty to act out of a clean heart.

Of course there
may be families where the woman is forced, for instance to stay
at home. But that does not imply that doing so is Islam, the sisters
Batool, of 21 years, and Ayisha, of 19, concord. There are oppressed
women in all cultures, Danish or Muslim. And as in all other situations
it is important to consider each particular case for itself instead of
generalizing. For a woman is not oppressed unless she feels it that
way.

THE VEIL GIVES CONFIDENCE AND
FREEDOM

The scarf contributes
to creating equality between man and woman. He does not see her only as
a sex symbol, says Batool. When a man looks at a woman wearing a
scarf it is because he is interested in her personality and the
way she thinks instead of her appearance, her sister complements. A woman
who covers herself is hiding her sexual charm, and yet allows her womanliness
to remain visible, writes Mominah Abdullah.

Islam does
not attempt, as some people erroneously think, to exclude sexuality. It
is canalized in its full strength into the marital relationship, and is
not »flaunted« in other contexts. Hijab therefore guarantees
the integrity of the Muslim woman.

The clothes
must not be tight so that the forms show. In this way, we avoid problems
like sexual harassment and rape. When we wear these clothes, we
feel secure. We are more protected, Ayisha thinks.

And then a
man does not stare at other women than his wife, emphasizes Batool. She
elaborates on the relationship between a man and a veiled woman: When a
woman covers her beauty, the man does not look at her as a woman, but as
a fellow human being. Instead, he concentrates upon her intellect. Bergliot
Emina, a Norwegian convert, also emphasizes: You cover your head and
chest, but not your brains.

For Ayisha,
the notion of the oppressed Muslim housewife is a myth. In Islam, the husband
has a duty to maintain his family. It is therefore a matter of course
that he must work. But, of course, the woman may also work. It is not so
that she cannot go out and get an education or a job. But she is allowed
to sit at home, it is not her duty to maintain the family.

Emina adds
examples of professional women in Muslim countries: About 60% are illiterate
in Egypt, but I have met more female professors in Egypt and Jordan
than in Denmark.

Batool adds:
Islam encourages everybody, both the man and the woman, to go out and read
and study. Bergliot Emina even characterizes it as a Muslim duty to
seek knowledge.

She continues:
In many ways, Muslim women have more freedom than women in the West. First
of all, the veil has meant that I can walk around without being judged
by my appearance. Secondly, the women are equally respected and
appreciated whether they choose to be housewives or professional women.

For the Muslim
woman, the veil therefore represents freedom. Only this freedom
has another character and expresses itself in another way than that of
the West. But must the women of the West be the only ones to define
freedom? Are they the only ones who know what the right to choose for oneself
and to decide over one's own body means? We wonder if not the many
millions of Muslim women would claim otherwise!

Of course,
every woman must have the right to wear a veil as well as the right not
to wear one.